The European Committee of the Regions' Commission for the Environment, Climate Change and Energy (ENVE) has adopted a declarationsetting out its position on the automotive emission tests' scandal.

ENVE members deplore that national governments sitting in the EU Council of Ministers have allowed car manufacturers to exceed more than two times the emission limits required by EU law as of 2017. They also call for local authorities to be entitled to a fair share of compensation to be paid by companies found to be responsible so as to enable cities and regions to implement clean-air programmes.

Commenting on the adoption of the declaration, ENVE chair Francesco Pigliaru (IT/PES), President of the Region of Sardinia, said that "Rules for vehicle emissions tests have a direct impact on citizens and are therefore of the highest relevance for local and regional authorities. Regions and cities cannot accept any relaxation of rules, such as the softening of emission limits by national governments. We urge the EU's institutions and member states not to tolerate manipulations any longer and to ensure that tests are trustworthy, rigorous and based on real-world driving conditions. Finally, we call on car manufacturers to act with the highest transparency in order to re-gain consumers' confidence. This is also the best way to preserve their key role in the EU's economy."